Ace!
This is an article not related to the Captain Tsubasa in-universe series but to other Takahashi's works. Ace! (エース！) is a sports manga by Japanese cartoonist Yoichi Takahashi in which baseball is featured. The comic was serialized in Shueisha shonen magazine Weekly Shonen Jump from issue #1·2 of 1990 to issue #26 of 1991, cover dates #1990-01-01 to #1991-06-17, plus three more stories published in Weekly Shonen Jump special issues Summer Special (1991), Autumn Special (1991) and Winter Special (1992), achieving a total of 76 chapters. The last three chapters cover the events of the finals of the district tournament. In the regular serialization, the results were only left in text in a similar manner to what happened with the Japan Youth vs. Netherlands Youth match in Captain Tsubasa: World Youth Hen. The series was originally compiled in nine tankobon volumes from 1990 to 1992. In 1996 the series was reprinted in six aizoban volumes as part of Shueisha Jump Comics Selection line. The six volumes were reprinted in 2007 in bunko format. The plot revolves around the Wakamiya Fighters (若宮ファイターズ) and their new pitcher Kazuya. To a point, the story has a similar concept to Captain Tsubasa, but with baseball, like a gifted schoolchild who has changed schools, superhuman physical strength beyond a child and over the top manoeuvres. It has several differences beyond being different sports, though, such as incorporating more serious themes like the death of the protagonist's father and a younger brother's abduction. Summary The Wakamiya Fighters were unable to win a single time in the Joto district tournament, so the team is at risk of being disbanded. On top of that, the team only has six members, three below the required minimum, since most members were unable to cope with the severe practice imposed due to the captain's zeal for baseball. A new student arrives to the Wakamiya elementary school (若宮小学校) who has received special baseball training from his father since he was very little... Characters *'Kazuya Aiba' (相羽一八, aiba kazuya) - A left-handed pitcher, and main protagonist of the comic. His father gave him special training. His grandfather told Aiba to quit baseball and enter the track and field club when transferring to his new school, Wakamiya elementary school, because their family have a bloody curse with baseball. His uncle lost eyesight due to a throw from his father and his father died when struck by a thunderbolt during a baseball game. *'Captain Majima' (真島大将, majima taishou) - The captain of the Wakamiya Fighters. A good player as a pitcher, catcher and runner. An enthusiast of baseball, but not very good with his studies. *'Doctor Nomoto' (野本博士, nomoto hakase) - A former member of the Wakamiya Fighters. Knows a lot about the theory of baseball. An excellent student *'Shinji Uchiyama' (内山信二, uchiyama shinji) - First baseman of the Wakamiya Fighters and their largest player. *'Speedster Hida' (飛田俊足, hida shunsoku) - A Wakayima elementary school student. Member of the track and field team. *'Suekichi Yamada' (山田末吉, yamada suekichi) - Catcher of the Wakamiya Fighters. Contrary to other members of the team, he is a 5th-grader. *'Mitsuo Hashimoto' (橋本光夫, hashimoto mitsuo) - Third baseman of the Wakamiya Fighters. He has a goofy personality. *'Noboru Ito' (伊藤登, itou noboru) - Shortstop of the Wakamiya Fighters. He has a younger brother. *'Otoko Tanisawa' (谷沢音子, tanisawa otoko) - Outfielder of the Wakamiya Fighters and the only female player of the team. *'Etsuko Kiyomiya' (清宮悦子, kiyomiya etsuko) - Aiba's classmate. She was the first to see Aiba when he came to the town. *'Ryu Masaki' (間崎竜, masaki ryuu) - Captain and coach of the Daiba Dirty Dragons (台場ダーティードラゴンズ). Serialization Gallery First edition Ace!_1.jpg|#1 (幻のエース！の巻), 1990-07-01, ISBN 9784088717913, 176p Ace!_2.jpg|#2, 1990-09-01, ISBN 9784088717920, 175p Ace!_3.jpg|#3 (エース！復活！！の巻), 1990-11-01, ISBN 9784088717937, 182p Ace!_4.jpg|#4 (決意！新たに！！の巻), 1991-02-01, ISBN 9784088717944, 183p Ace!_5.jpg|#5 (最大最強の好敵手!!), 1991-04-01, ISBN 9784088717951, 184p Ace!_6.jpg|#6 (一八！最終回の試練の巻), 1991-06-15, ISBN 9784088717968, 177p Ace!_7.jpg|#7 (初対決！！一八ｖｓ竜虎の巻), 1991-09-15, ISBN 9784088717975, 178p Ace!_8.jpg|#8 (闘志！燃ゆる瞬間！！の巻), 1991-11-15, ISBN 9784088717982, 177p Ace!_9.jpg|#9 (明日のエースは君だ!!), 1992-02-01, ISBN 9784088717999, 193p Jump Comics Selection Ace!_JCS_1.jpg|#1 (幻のエース!の巻), 1996-06-19, ISBN 9784834215014 Ace!_JCS_2.jpg|#2 (エース!復活!!の巻), 1996-07-19, ISBN 9784834215021 Ace!_JCS_3.jpg|#3 (決意!新たに!!の巻), 1996-08-21, ISBN 9784834215038 Ace!_JCS_4.jpg|#4 (最大最強の好敵手!!の巻), 1996-09-19, ISBN 9784834215045 Ace!_JCS_5.jpg|#5 (初対決!!一八vs.竜虎の巻), 1996-10-18, ISBN 9784834215052 Ace!_JCS_6.jpg|#6 (明日のエースは君だ!!の巻), 1996-11-19, ISBN 9784834215069 Paperback Ace!_bunko_1.jpg|#1, 2007-05-18, ISBN 9784086186339, 274p Ace!_bunko_2.jpg|#2, 2007-05-18, ISBN 9784086186346, 258p Ace!_bunko_3.jpg|#3, 2007-07-18, ISBN 9784086186353, 263p Ace!_bunko_4.jpg|#4, 2007-07-18, ISBN 9784086186360, 275p Ace!_bunko_5.jpg|#5, 2007-08-10, ISBN 9784086186377, 254p Ace!_bunko_6.jpg|#6, 2007-08-10, ISBN 9784086186384, 291p Samples from the comic Ace!_bunko_1.jpg Ace!_bunko_1_sample_1.jpg Ace!_bunko_1_sample_2.jpg Ace!_bunko_1_sample_3.jpg Ace!_bunko_1_sample_4.jpg Ace!_bunko_1_sample_5.jpg Ace!_bunko_1_sample_6.jpg Ace!_bunko_1_sample_7.jpg Ace!_bunko_1_sample_8.jpg Ace!_bunko_1_sample_9.jpg Ace!_bunko_2.jpg Ace!_bunko_2_sample_1.jpg Ace!_bunko_2_sample_2.jpg Ace!_bunko_2_sample_3.jpg Ace!_bunko_2_sample_4.jpg Ace!_bunko_2_sample_5.jpg Ace!_bunko_2_sample_6.jpg Ace!_bunko_2_sample_7.jpg Ace!_bunko_2_sample_8.jpg Ace!_bunko_2_sample_9.jpg Ace!_bunko_3.jpg Ace!_bunko_3_sample_1.jpg Ace!_bunko_3_sample_2.jpg Ace!_bunko_3_sample_3.jpg Ace!_bunko_3_sample_4.jpg Ace!_bunko_3_sample_5.jpg Ace!_bunko_3_sample_6.jpg Ace!_bunko_3_sample_7.jpg Ace!_bunko_3_sample_8.jpg Ace!_bunko_3_sample_9.jpg Ace!_bunko_4.jpg Ace!_bunko_4_sample_1.jpg Ace!_bunko_4_sample_2.jpg Ace!_bunko_4_sample_3.jpg Ace!_bunko_4_sample_4.jpg Ace!_bunko_4_sample_5.jpg Ace!_bunko_4_sample_6.jpg Ace!_bunko_4_sample_7.jpg Ace!_bunko_4_sample_8.jpg Ace!_bunko_5.jpg Ace!_bunko_5_sample_1.jpg Ace!_bunko_5_sample_2.jpg Ace!_bunko_5_sample_3.jpg Ace!_bunko_5_sample_4.jpg Ace!_bunko_5_sample_5.jpg Ace!_bunko_5_sample_6.jpg Ace!_bunko_5_sample_7.jpg Ace!_bunko_5_sample_8.jpg Ace!_bunko_5_sample_9.jpg Ace!_bunko_6.jpg Ace!_bunko_6_sample_1.jpg Ace!_bunko_6_sample_2.jpg Ace!_bunko_6_sample_3.jpg Ace!_bunko_6_sample_4.jpg Ace!_bunko_6_sample_5.jpg Ace!_bunko_6_sample_6.jpg Ace!_bunko_6_sample_7.jpg Ace!_bunko_6_sample_8.jpg Ace!_bunko_6_sample_9.jpg External links *[http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/エース! Ace!] at Japanese Wikipedia (Japanese) *Series info at Boys Comic Encyclopedia (Japanese) *Series info at Japanese Works Database (Japanese) *serialization info at Weekly Shonen Jump Inscription (Japanese) }} Category:Other works of Yoichi Takahashi